Folding-machine.



PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

R C SEYMOUR FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00125, 1905.

a SHEETSSHEET 1v No. 820,675. PATENTED MAY lf), 1906. R. G. SEYMOUR.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIGAT IIIIIIIII 0T. 222222 5.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS 2.

I PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

R. G. SEYMOUR. FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00125, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

InvenZZr-w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH sEYMOU OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AssieNOR TO 0. B. OOTTRELL & sONs COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A OORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FOLDING-MACHINE,

Patented. May 15, 1906.

Application filed October 25, 1905. Serial No. 284,298-

To on whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH O. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding-machines, and has more particularly for its object to provide certain novel features in sheet-folding mechanism whereby all liability of the folded sheetbeing prematurely withdrawn from the grippers when the grippers and tucking-blade are being separated is obviated.

A further object is to provide certain improvements in the construction, form, and arrangement of the several parts whereby the above object may be accomplished in a very simple, complete, and effective manner.

When a folding-machine is run at extremely high speeds in connection with certain grades of'papersuch, for instance, as flimsy or high-calendered paperit has been found that there is a tendency on the part of the paper to be occasionally prematurely withdrawn from the folding-grippers when the grippers and tucking-blade are being separated. This disadvantageous feature serves to necessarily keep down the speed of the folding-machine.

This present invention is directed to means which will insure the retention of the folded sheet in the folding-grippers even when the folding-machine is run at extremely high speeds until the grippers are opened for the purpose of releasing the folded sheet.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure -1 shows a part of a folding-machine for giving an understandin of the means for operating the folding mec anism. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the means for opening the foldinggrippers to receive the sheet. Fig. 3 is a section through the tucking and folding cylinders, showing more clearly one form of folding mechanism with my improvements'applied thereto. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section in the plane of the line A A of Fig. 6, showing the folding mechanism in operative position. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken in the plane of the line B B of Fi 6. Fig. 6 is a front view of one of the foifding-grippers. Fig. 7 is a section taken in the plane of the line C C of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the tucking-blade and its support. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a set of folding-grippers and their support, and Fig. 11 is a front view of v the same.

I have chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention folding mechanism such as that shown in my United States LettersPat- 'ent No.668,7 1 9, entitled Folding-machine,

dated February 26, 1901; but it is to-be understood that the invention might readily. be applied to various other types of folding mechanism, as the invention is directed tothe folding-grippers and tucking-blade only.

The tucking-cylinder is denoted by 1, the folding-cylinder by 2, and their shafts by 3 and 4, respectively.

The tucking-blade is denoted by 5, and it is secured between two half-round bars 6 and 7 by the usual screws 8 and dowel-pins 9. One of the half-round barsfor example, the bar 6is formed integral with the end pieces 10 and 11, from which the trunnions 12 and 13 of the blade project. These trunnions 12 andjlS are pivotally supported in the tuckingcylinder 1, and one of the trunnionsas, for instance, the trunnion 12has fixed thereto a crank-arm 14, which bears a roller 15, that travels in a grooved cam 16, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, connected to the folding-machine frame.

The folding-cylinder is provided with an arc-shaped longitudinal groove 17, in which the folding-grippers are located. These grippers comprise fixed jaws 18, carrying trun nions 19 20, and movable jaws 2'1, fixed to a cross-shaft 22. Bearing plates orbrackets 23 are provided on the folding-cylinder 2 at the opposite ends of the arc-shaped groove 17, in which plates the trunnions .19 and 20 are mounted. These plates 23 are also pro-' of a rod 29, that is carried by a crank-arm 30,

I do

secured to the cross-shaft 22. Upon the rod 29 is a coil-spring 31, which bears at one end against the lug 28 and at its opposite end against the cranl -arm 30. Normally the spring is in compression, and hence its action is to force the two arms 26 and 30 apart, and thereby close the jaws 18 and 21. The shaft 22 is further provided with another crankarm 32, preferably made integral with the arm 30, the two forming together a bellcrank, and on the outer end of said arm 32 is mounted an antifriction-roller 33, which en' gages with a stationary cam-face 34, which is carried by a stationary part of the machineframe. This mechanism is so arranged that it will open the grippers at a predetermined point for the purpose of receiving the sheet to be folded.

On the opposite end of the cross-shaft 22 is a crank-arm 35, having an antifrictionroller 36, that cooperates with a cam 37, carried by a permanent part of the machine-frame and so arranged that it will open the grippers at the proper time to release the folded sheet.

To prevent the premature Withdrawal of the sheet from the folding-grippers when the grippers and tucking-blade are being separated, I provide the following arrangement: The tucking-blade 5 is provided withone or more recesses 38 in its edge, within which the jaws 18 and 21 of the grippers are caused to engage the sheet and grip the same. To facilitate the gripping of the folded sheet, I provide oneor both of the jaws 18 and 21 with offset gripping-faces. In the present instance I have shown the jaw 18 as provided with an I offset gripping-face 39 and the jaw 21 as pro vide'd with an offset gripping-face 40, arranged to coact with the gripping-face 39 within a recess 38 in thetuck ng-blade 5. It

.will thus be seen that the sheet may be firmly gripped after it has been folded Within the folding-grippers by the tucking blad'e and while the grippers and blade are being separated, thus absolutely preventing the premature withdrawal of the sheet from the folding-grippers.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the construction, form, and arrange ment of the several parts without departing a tucking-cylinder, its tucking-blade having a recess in its edge, a folding-cylinder and its folding-gripper having its aws arranged to grip the sheet within said recess.

4. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-cylinder, its tuokingblade laving recesses along its edge, a folding-cylinder and its folding-grippers having their jaws arranged to grip the sheet within said recesses.

5. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-cylinder, its tucking-blade having a recess in its edge, a folding-cylinder and its folding-gripper having its jaWs arranged to grip the sheet Within said recess, one of the j aws having an offset grip ing-face.

6. A sheet-folding meclianism comprising a tucking-cylinder, its tucking-blade having recesses along its edge, a folding-cylinder and its folding-grippers having their jaws arranged togrip the sheet within said recesses, one of the jaws of each gripper having an offset gripping-face.

7. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-cylinder, its tucking-blade having a recess in its edge, a folding-cylinder and its folding-gripper having its aws arranged to grip the sheet Within said recess, both of the jaws having offset gripping-faces.

8. A sheet-foldin mechanism com rising a tucking-cylinder, 1ts tucking-blade avin recesses along its edge, a folding-cylinder an its folding-gripp ershaving their jaws arranged to grip the sheet'within said recesses, both of the-jaws of each gripper having offset gripping-faces. I

9. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-cylinder, its tucking-blade having a recess in its edge, a folding-cylinder and its foldin -gri per having its aws arranged to grip t e s eet within the recess while the blade and gripper are being separated and means for controlling the operation of the gripper-jaws. v

10. Asheet-folding mechanism com rising a tucking-cylinder, its tucking-blade avin recesses along its edge, a folding-cylinder an its folding-grippers havin their jaws arranged to grip the sheet within the recesses while the blade and gripper are being separated and means for controlling the operation of the jaws of the grippers.

1 1. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-blade having a recess in its edge, a foldin gripper having its jaws arran ed to grip t e s eet within the recess whi e the blade is being withdrawn from the gripper, means for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper-jaws and means for controlling the movement of the tucking-blade.

12. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tuckin -blade having recesses along its edge, fol ing-grippers havin their jaws arran ed to rip the sheet within the recesses whi e the bide is being withdrawn from the grippers, means for controlling the opening and closing of the jaws of the grippers and 'means for controlling the movements of the tucking=blade.

13. A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-blade having a recess in its edge, a foldinggripper, means for opening the gripper to receive the sheet, means for closing the gripper to cause it to grip the sheet Within the recess in the tuckin blade, means for ad vancing the tuckinglade into the gripper, said means bein arranged to Withdraw the blade While the s eet is engaged by the griper and means for opening the gripper to reease the folded sheet.

14, A sheet-folding mechanism comprising a tucking-blade having recesses along its edge, it'olding-grippers, means for opening the grippers to receive the sheet, means for closing the rippers to cause them to grip the sheet within the recesses in the tuckingblade, means for advancing the tucking-blade into the grippers, said means being arranged to Withdraw the blade while the sheet is engaged by the grip ers and means for opening the grippers to re ease the folded sheet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence-of tWo Witnesses, this 19th day of October, 1905.

RALPH O. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses F. GEORGE BARRY, FREDK. HAYNES. 

